Asia and the Pacific has made great strides in poverty reduction and economic growth in the past 50 years.ADB has been a key partner in the significant transformation of the region and is committed to continue serving the region in the next phase of its development.

The Guidelines on Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the Mekong Region have been developed to address the shared concern for increasing meaningful public participation in development planning, in the context of increasing investment projects across the Mekong region.

While Asia has the world’s fastest-growing economy, 29 of 48 countries assessed by the Asian Water Development Outlook 2016 are water-insecure, posing a threat to the region’s continued growth.As economies develop, increasing demands will be placed on water for food and water for energy.